SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1198

“Tablet of the Heart”

Keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 7:2-3

The ‘apple of your eye’ is an idiom that originated in the word of God. It literally means the pupil of your eye and refers to the reflection in your pupil of what you are gazing at intently. By keeping God’s Word, His commandments and moral code for living in the forefront of our lives we are writing them on the tablet of our heart. They become woven into the fabric of our being.

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds, – Hebrews 10:16

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. – Luke 6:45

God gave us the Ten Commandments carved on stone tablets. We have monuments, placards, and posters of them displayed in our homes, businesses, and public places. The Words of God contained therein are living and active and they remind us of our need to be obedient to Him.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

I believe that this is why our society seeks to remove the display of the Ten Commandments and any other public displays of the Word of God. The evil intent of the heart of our society does not want to be reminded of its sinfulness and have to acknowledge the need of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Therefore, it is so important for us to embrace the new covenant of grace and to make God’s Word the apple of our eye and write His moral laws on the tablet of our heart. His Word needs to be woven into the very fabric of who we are, how we act, and what we say.

My son do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. – Prov 3:1-4

The words in the original Hebrew translated ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’ also carry the meaning of ‘mercy or kindness and truth’ as is evident in some translations. It is interesting to note that when God identified Himself as He passed before Moses He identified Himself as ‘abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’.

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, – Exodus 34:6

In Proverbs 3 we are exhorted to have the attribute of God: ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’ written on the tablet of our heart.

When the Living Word of God is part of the very fabric of our being, engraved on the ‘tablets of our heart’ every aspect of our daily lives speaks of the presence of God and brings Him glory.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. – Psalm 25:10

May the Word of God and His commandments be the apple of your eye and written on the tablet of your heart.

May His Living Word, the very presence of God by His indwelling Holy Spirit, be woven into the fabric of your being such that in all things God is glorified.

And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. – 2 Corinthians 3:3